shipping

I just had a package arrive here in hamilton which came from pa usa and i had already paid 55.00 bucks for shipping and when u.p.s showed up i needed to pay additional 40.00 for h.s.t apparently? Is that a u.p.s thing? I had choice of priority,u.p.s and took cheaper one. When i order from england i dont pay any extra when it arrives and is alot cheaper, but canada post delivers it. Is there a way around this and why only when it comes from usa? Any tips or info on how it works would be great thank you kindly.
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shipping

when u.p.s showed up i needed to pay additional 40.00 for h.s.t apparently? Is that a u.p.s thing?

 

Yes.

 

To be more exact, couriers are legally required to assess, collect and remit Canadian duty and sales taxes.

There are sales taxes on imports that don't attract duty.

There are sales taxes on imports that are used.

And around $25 of what you paid is actually a service charge/customs brokerage fee by UPS. (Was your item valued around $200 CDN/$160USD?)

 

 

I had choice of priority,u.p.s and took cheaper one.

It only appears that way.

UPS (and other couriers) do have some 'express' services that include the duty, Sales Tax, and service fees in the original charge.

The apparently lower cost services collect these on the doorstep.

Not to say the 'express' service would have been cheaper in total, but at least you would have known what you were really paying.

 

By 'priority' do you mean USPS/Canada Post?

Those costs can appear high, but CBSA and Canada Post have come to the sensible conclusion that it makes no sense to assess and collect duty and tax on items where the cost of doing so (taxpayer paid) is more than the money that would be collected.

So they tend to ignore small parcels and those valued under about $100CDN.

 

Is there a way around this

You can choose to pay for the courier 's high end service. Your seller may not know about the doorstep costs for the cheaper service and it is not unusual to have a kind hearted seller use the 'cheaper' ground service even when the more expensive one is requested.

BTW- you should politely let your seller know about your experience. He is probably innocent of any knowledge of the situation.

You can choose postal shipment, as explained above.

 

You can (on items valued over $100) opt for the GSP. STOP SCREAMING!! I know it's a bad program on cheap items, but it is often the best value on more pricey items.

 

You can ask the seller to use USPS First Class International Parcel, which includes Confirmation of Delivery and carries up to four lbs. of goods.

 

and why only when it comes from usa?

Because if it were coming from overseas, the seller would be using the courier's Air service which is the pricier service described above and your duty and tax would be included in that charge.

More often, overseas sellers use the postal system.  Did you know that Purolator belongs to Canada Post and another large courier whose name escapes me belongs to the Dutch Post Office?

 

Finally-- while FB is voluntary, it is also meat and drink to your sellers. It would be courteous to leave feedback when you have received and inspected your purchases.

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shipping

Never ever use ups they will take you to the cleaners every time So sorry that you dont have experiance at buying on ebay ,they are a broker and will charge brokerage fees, that happend to my son,its as bad as using fed ex or gsp from us sellers they charge horendis fees.Should be illegal but they have you over a barrel so to speak.Nothing you can do about it you either pay there unethical fees or not get your purchased item Ver4y sad people get stung like this.,its buyer be ware ,has nothing to do with the seller,they get cheap shipping its the customer that pays big time be very aware next time you buy anything from someone using gsp fed ex or ups its a disgrace what they get away with

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